How to double the size of your next Chipotle burrito without paying extra

How you order at Chipotle can have a major impact on final meal size.
(iStock)

Looking to beef up your next Chipotle burrito? There are a few simple hacks that can make it up to 86 percent larger without paying a dime extra.

After testing 35 orders of the same basic burrito over the course of two weeks, an intern at the real estate site, Apartment List, came up with a foolproof, scientifically-tested way to get the most out of your order.

“Through a lot of burrito research and even more company write-offs and office burrito donations, I’ve discovered these 6 tips that can increase the size of your burrito by 86% without spending any more money,” wrote Dylan Grosz.

His “control" or non-hacked burrito weighed in at 17 ounces, while the maxed-out version was an impressive 31.6—almost two pounds of meaty Chipotle goodness.

In explaining his methodology, the intern says, “The control burrito I compared everything to was a white rice, black beans, chicken, mild salsa, and cheese burrito.”

The basic methodology involves asking “half-and-half” of every filling, including beans, rice and protein. And if you’re really looking to save money, then it makes sense to skip the guac—we all know by now it's extra.

Here's the recipe for maxing out your next Chipotle order:

1. Instead of ordering a burrito, ask for a burrito bowl and side of two tortillas. You’ll have to wrap your burrito yourself but these two changes will increase the size of your portions by 15 percent and 25 percent respectively, according to Grosz.

2. Order white and brown rice. This may not be Paleo friendly but you’ll get 93 percent more rice.

3. Order both types of beans—black and pinto. Sure it will help maximize the weight but Grosz adds “we aren’t responsible for the gas you’ll be having afterward.”

4. Ask for half-and-half steak and chicken. This step could yield wildly different results depending on the heavy handedness of your Chipotle burrito master. But after extensive testing, Grosz found that most servers give you about a ¾ scoop of each meat, leading to a total increase of 54 percent more meat. They also note that going with more expensive proteins like carnitas will mean you’ll end up paying more.

5.Get fajita veggies and corn salsa. Obviously, if you don’t like either of these ingredients then this step isn’t for you. But compared to the other salsas, these two free ingredients add the most heft to your burrito.